Golden, fragrant, and filled with the warmth of jaggery and lentils, Puran Poli is one of India’s most beloved festive breads. Made across Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu under different names, this sweet stuffed flatbread has been the centrepiece of celebration meals for over a thousand years. At Sukhadi Kitchen, we handmake authentic Puran Poli in London using the traditional recipe passed down through generations — and deliver this festival favourite to your door anywhere in the UK.

What Is Puran Poli?

Puran Poli is a thin, soft flatbread stuffed with a sweet filling called Puran — made from cooked chana dal (split chickpeas) sweetened with jaggery and spiced with cardamom, nutmeg, and saffron. The outer covering is made from wheat flour (or a mix of wheat and plain flour), rolled paper-thin around the filling and cooked on a tawa with generous ghee until golden. The result is a sweet, mildly spiced flatbread that is simultaneously a bread and a dessert — rich, comforting, and utterly irresistible.

Regional Names Across India

Name	Region / State
Puran Poli / Puranachi Poli	Maharashtra
Vedmi / Puran Puri	Gujarat
Holige / Obbattu	Karnataka
Bobbattu / Bhakshalu / Baksham	Andhra Pradesh & Telangana
Uppittuu / Poleylu	Kerala & Tamil Nadu
Oligalu	Tulu Nadu (coastal Karnataka)
Ubbatti	Konkan region
Sweet Roti / Stuffed Sweet Flatbread	UK / International

History — A 1,000-Year-Old Festive Bread

Puran Poli has one of the oldest documented histories of any Indian flatbread. References to a sweet stuffed bread called Bakshyam appear in the 12th-century Sanskrit text Manasollasa, written by the Chalukya king Someshvara III — making this bread at least 900 years old in documented form. Later references appear in 14th-century Marathi literature, confirming Puran Poli’s deep roots in the Deccan’s culinary tradition.

Puran Poli is inseparably linked with the Hindu festival of Holi in Maharashtra and Karnataka, where it is traditionally prepared the day before the festival. It is also a centrepiece of Gudi Padwa (Maharashtrian New Year), Ugadi (Telugu and Kannada New Year), and Diwali celebrations. In Gujarat, the equivalent Vedmi is made for weddings and auspicious occasions.

The tradition of making Puran Poli is deeply communal — in many families, the entire household gathers to prepare it, with different members taking responsibility for the filling, rolling, and cooking. The aroma of ghee-kissed Puran Poli cooking on the tawa is one of the most powerfully evocative food memories for anyone who grew up in a Maharashtrian or Gujarati household.

What’s in the Puran (Filling)?

The soul of Puran Poli is its filling. The Maharashtrian version uses chana dal (split Bengal gram), while the Gujarati Vedmi typically uses toor dal (split pigeon peas). The cooked lentils are drained thoroughly and then pressure-cooked or simmered with jaggery until the mixture becomes thick and fudge-like. Aromatics — cardamom, saffron, nutmeg, and sometimes dried coconut — are added for the complex spice character that makes Puran Poli so distinctive.

The choice of jaggery over refined sugar is a centuries-old tradition. Jaggery is an unrefined sweetener that retains the natural minerals present in sugarcane, and its rich, caramel-molasses flavour creates a depth that refined sugar cannot match.

What Makes Puran Poli Special

Wholesome, Traditional Ingredients

Puran Poli is made with chana dal (split chickpeas), jaggery, whole wheat flour, and fragrant spices — simple, natural ingredients with no artificial additives. Chana dal is a well-loved pulse in Indian cooking, and jaggery is a traditional unrefined sweetener with a rich, distinctive flavour. Together they create the complex, satisfying filling that makes Puran Poli so beloved at celebrations.

A Festive Treat — Enjoy as Part of a Celebration

Puran Poli is a celebration food — made for festivals, weddings, and family gatherings. Like all festive sweets, it is a treat to be enjoyed as part of a celebratory meal, not an everyday staple. Its richness comes from generous ghee and the natural sweetness of jaggery — ingredients that have graced Indian festive cooking for centuries.

How Puran Poli Is Made at Sukhadi Kitchen

Making the Puran (Filling)

Chana dal is washed, soaked, and pressure-cooked until completely soft. The cooked dal is drained, then cooked again in a heavy pan with jaggery, stirring continuously as the mixture thickens to the consistency of soft halwa. Cardamom, nutmeg, and saffron are added at this stage, filling the kitchen with the intoxicating aroma of festival cooking. The puran is cooled and portioned into balls.

Making the Outer Cover

The dough for the cover is made from whole wheat flour (or a blend with plain flour), kneaded with water and a little oil until very soft and pliable. This dough must be softer than regular roti dough to allow the thin rolling needed to encase the filling.

Stuffing and Rolling

A small disc of dough is flattened, a ball of puran is placed in the centre, and the dough is carefully gathered around it and sealed. This stuffed ball is then gently rolled out — requiring great skill so the thin dough doesn’t tear while encasing the filling. This step is what separates an expert Puran Poli maker from a beginner.

Cooking with Ghee

The rolled Puran Poli is placed on a medium-hot tawa and cooked with generous ghee on both sides until golden patches appear and the bread is cooked through. The ghee bastes the outside, creating a lightly crisp, richly flavoured crust. Traditionally served immediately with more ghee poured over the top.

Puran Poli in London and the UK

For the Maharashtrian and Gujarati communities in London, Leicester, Birmingham, and across the UK, Puran Poli is deeply tied to festivals and family — it is the food of Holi, Diwali, and celebrations. Being able to order authentic, freshly made Puran Poli for a festival gathering — rather than attempting to make it from scratch (a genuinely skill-intensive process) — is a gift that Sukhadi Kitchen is proud to offer.

Order Puran Poli Online — UK Delivery

Sukhadi Kitchen’s handmade Puran Poli is made fresh to order in London — no preservatives, pure vegetarian, dispatched within 48 hours. Perfect for festivals, special occasions, or simply when you want a taste of something genuinely special. Order here →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Puran Poli and Vedmi?

Both are sweet stuffed flatbreads, but the filling differs. Puran Poli (Maharashtrian) uses chana dal (split chickpeas) sweetened with jaggery. Vedmi (Gujarati) uses toor dal (split pigeon peas). The outer cover and cooking method are similar, but the flavour profiles differ slightly — Vedmi tends to be slightly lighter in texture.

Is Puran Poli a sweet or a bread?

Delightfully, both! Puran Poli sits at the intersection of bread and sweet — it is served as part of a festive meal alongside savoury dishes, not as a separate dessert course. It provides sweetness, substance, and nutrition all at once, making it unique among Indian festival foods.

What do you eat Puran Poli with?

Traditionally served with generous ghee poured on top, alongside katachi amti (a spiced lentil broth made from the water in which the chana dal was cooked) in Maharashtra. Also eaten with warm milk, coconut milk, or simply on its own as a satisfying sweet treat.

How long does Puran Poli stay fresh?

Puran Poli stays fresh for 2–3 days at room temperature and up to a week in the refrigerator. It can be frozen for up to 2 months. Reheat on a tawa with a little ghee for the best result.

Is Puran Poli vegetarian and vegan?

Puran Poli is 100% vegetarian and made without eggs. It is cooked with ghee (clarified butter), so it is not vegan in the traditional recipe. Please contact us if you require a dairy-free version.

Conclusion

Puran Poli is more than food — it is a 1,000-year-old celebration in edible form. Every piece carries the flavours of festivals, the warmth of family kitchens, and the wisdom of generations of Indian cooks. At Sukhadi Kitchen, we are honoured to keep this beautiful tradition alive in London, handmaking Puran Poli with the same care and quality that has made it beloved across the subcontinent for centuries.